The Independent Angler: Angling in the Amazon, Thresher sharks and Forkbeard

Shock as Thresher Shark caught off Cornwall coast

The first UK thresher shark to have been caught on rod and line in decades has been boated off the Cornish coast. The 12ft long predator, estimated to weigh between 300lb and 350lb, was hooked by Essex angler Malcolm Roberts while out with Looe-based charter boat ‘Mystique II’ 20 miles offshore.

The 39-year-old, a seasoned shark angler, immediately knew he was not attached to a blue shark due to its sheer power. And despite being fully geared up, the fish took 600 metres of line off his TW80 reel at one stage and Malcolm had to battle for nearly an hour-and-a-half before shocked skipper Dave Bond was able to bring it aboard.

Dave said: “I’ve fished here for 37 years and I’ve seen two or three threshers caught in nets but never one on rod and line.” The fish would have been a new British record if brought ashore but it was tagged and released.

Carp pulls angler in!

A video has emerged showing just how powerful a hooked carp can be – as it literally drags the angler who is playing it under the water! The remarkable home-made footage shows the unnamed angler moving out in to the water to free the hooked fish from a snag. He wades out to chest height (not to be advised) but when the fish is finally freed, it takes off with such power that it pulls him under… much to the amusement of his mates! Our heroic angler manages to cling on to the rod and regain control of the 30lb fish – although we don’t actually get to see if he lands it!

You can view it in the Fly Fishing News item here.

Welcome to the jungle: ‘If it doesn’t bite, electrocute or sting you… then it doesn’t belong here!’

So begins this amazing Amazon fishing adventure with Brit abroad Steve Townson on a river that’s home to an unbelievable 3,000 species of freshwater fish. Steve, who happens to be World Peacock Bass Champion, spends a week on a floating hotel deep in the Brazilian rainforest in the company of 11 other anglers on a tributary of the great river that’s four times bigger than any other in the world.

You can watch this programme from Fishing TV here.

This is all about lure fishing mainly with ‘prop baits’, a type of topwater lure that produces explosive takes from an endless variety of specimen fish. But the main target is the magnificent peacock bass, especially the much-sought-after, turbo charged ‘grande’, that can grow to 27lb, and boats the most wonderful multi-coloured coat when in spawning mode. This is an absorbing, wild and exciting fishing adventure in the company of fantastic lure anglers.

Find out more about Steve at www.amazon-angler.com

Match angler’s £50,000 will help with the wedding!

Les Thompson had more than just the 2012 Maver Mega Match This Final on his mind with his wedding on the horizon! But he put it all to one side as he fished for and won the biggest prize in match fishing – a cheque for £50,000 presented to the winner of the Maver Match This final at Larford Lakes.

Great weather conditions and a focused approach paid off with Les beating the 23 other finalists at the Stourport fishery, in an event that was televised for Sky Sports. Les said: “I am obviously delighted to have won and plan to use some of the money to take the family away on holiday. I am getting married in a couple of weeks, so the extra funds will help to replenish the bank balance as the last few months have been very expensive!”

Teenager Lands Record Forkbeard

Teenager Morgan Parry is submitting a British record claim after catching a fish that he could not identify. The 13-year-old from Sunderland had caught a few mackerel off Roker Pier before moving to fish a mark known as Rat House Corner on the River Wear. He had no idea what the curious-looking, reddish fish that took his mackerel strip offering was and neither did the anglers around him. Luckily he declined one of their offers to take it home and eat it, and instead went to a local tackle shop where it was identified as a 2lb 12oz Greater Forkbeard.

It turns out there is no British record for the species but the qualifying weight is 1lb and Morgan is submitting a record claim.

Our FREE TO VIEW video players can be found using the following links:

GAME FISHER’S DIARY

COARSE AND MATCH FISHING

SEA WATCH

THE CARP CHANNEL

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